How doomed are the Hornets if Brandon Miller doesn't take off?

The Charlotte Hornets drafted Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and so far, he's proven former GM Mitch Kupchak right as the selection over Scoot Henderson.

Last season, however, was a lost year for Miller, playing in just 27 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, which required surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament.

The injury is a concern, but perhaps the bigger worry is if he is healthy and doesn't take that leap to stardom, as everyone expects. Earlier this week, noted NBA insider Zach Lowe gave a brutally honest opinion on what happens if Miller doesn't pan out.

"This is going nowhere, I'm talking nowhere for the next five years, nowhere interesting, nowhere close to interesting, interesting you can't even see with a telescope. This is going nowhereif Brandon Miller isn't an All-Star,"

Lowe is spot on.

In his rookie season, Miller shot 44 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from behind the 3-point line. He looked like a shooter who was learning what good shots were in the NBA, and he really took off late in that season.

Failing to see that progress continue would set the Hornets back another three or four years because between he and LaMelo Ball, Miller is the one who will be tasked to take this franchise to the next level. If Miller flops and LaMelo still has injuries popping up left and right, it's going to be a disaster.

There's no reason to think that Miller won't be able to play better now that he is fully healthy, especially with more help around him. He should continue to grow as a shooter and a shot-creator, which is exactly what the Hornets need.

Charlotte thinks that they can make the playoffs next season, and the play-in is the bare minimum goal. A healthy Miller is one of the big reasons why they believe that it is an achievable goal.

Last year in just 27 games, Miller averaged 21 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He shot 40.3 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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